How Dave Coulier's Sobriety Helped Him Grieve the Deaths of Bob Saget, His Brother and His Dad

Bob Saget was not the only loved one Dave Coulier lost over the course of a year.

When his Full House co-star died at age 65 in January, Coulier was already grieving the loss of his brother Dan Couwlier, who died by suicide at 58 nine months prior. And a month after Saget's death, his dad Dave Couwlier passed away at 91.

"My brother took his own life and I found him downstairs at my dad's house," Coulier exclusively told E! News. "Talk about a heart punch. That was really, really hard. And then Bob Saget, my other brother. I lost him suddenly...and then I lost my father right after that."

Coulier, who has known Saget since he was 18 and once slept on his couch when he was beginning his career, said his friend's death was "like another heart punch just completely out of left field."

Coulier, who quit drinking two years ago, is happy to have maintained his sobriety as he processed his grief.

25 Surprising Secrets About Full House

"I really, for the first time in my life, felt the raw feelings of what you're supposed to feel," the 62-year-old told E! News. "I'm so forever thankful that I was sober through this because it's what you're supposed to feel. You're supposed to feel spent, you're supposed to feel the sadness and the pain. And I wasn't feeling that when I was drinking because there were all those layers that were covering that up."

Rather than lean on the bottle, he leaned on his wife Melissa Bring. As he raved, "I couldn't have a better partner that's being supportive through all this."

Also there for moral support: The cast of Full House, including Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, who he reunited with at Los Angeles memorial for Saget in January.

"It was as if no time had passed," Coulier said. "They were so sweet and loving. Even though there was great sorrow, there was great joy with being able to connect the dots over the years and not miss a beat as far as our friendships and the love for each other is."

Together, the Full House family—including Lori Loughlin, John Stamos, Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin—has weathered their fair share of storms.

"We've gone through getting our show picked up to getting our show canceled to marriages, divorces, breakups, births, deaths, we've gone through everything that a real family goes through," Coulier said. "But through all of it we've really been super supportive of each other."

If anything, life's ups and downs have only brought them closer. "If anything, life's ups and downs have only brought them closer," he continued, "and how much we appreciate each other and the love that we have for each other."

Like his former Full House co-stars, Coulier is concentrating on his individual projects. Next up, he'll star in the new comedy series Live+Local as Tommy Murphy, a veteran local radio Christian talk show host—and a far cry from Uncle Joey.

"It's a character that's a real curmudgeon," the actor explained. "People know me for Full House and Fuller House. And so I grew my beard out for the show and got to bring a lot more of the other side of me into this."

"I grew my beard out for the show and got to bring a lot more of the other side of me into this," the actor said, "and I got to be an exec producer on this, which was great, being able to guide the ship through the journey."

Still, he'll always hold out for more Full House, including a third series. "Most of us would be up for it because we still have stories to tell," he admitted. "And we love working with each other. We laugh our way through the weeks of work. And I think it would be a great way to keep Bob's legacy alive by telling stories about him and doing a flashback here and there."

Live+Local is available to streaming on Pure Flix beginning July 7.

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